Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2016 film and the ninth installment in J.K Rowling's Wizarding World. The film stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander. Fantastic Beasts premiered in New York City to generally positive reviews, and it was the first film in the Harry Potter universe to win an Academy Award. It was also one of the highest-grossing films of 2016, making $814 million worldwide. The film was nominated for five BAFTA Awards. A sequel, titled Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is scheduled for release in 2018. Plot Newt Scamander, a British wizard and magizoologist, arrives by ship to New York. He encounters Mary Lou Barebone, a Muggle (No-Maj) woman who gives a speech that wizards and witches are real and heavily dangerous. Newt stops to listen, and a Niffler in his bag slips out. As Newt attempts to catch it, he meets No-Maj baker Jacob Kowalski, and they unwittingly swap suitcases. Auror Tina Goldstein arrests him for being an unregistered wizard and takes him to the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA). However, as the suitcase only contains food items, he is let go. At Jacob's apartment, several creatures escape from Newt's suitcase, one biting him. After Tina and Newt find Jacob, they head to Tina's apartment. Tina introduces them to her Legilimens sister Queenie. Jacob and Queenie are mutually attracted, although American wizards are forbidden to even contact No-Majs. Newt takes Jacob inside his magically expanded suitcase. They encounter an Obscurus, a dark parasite that develops in magically gifted children if their abilities remain hidden too long. Newt took it from a young girl who died, those afflicted rarely make it past ten. Newt persuades Jacob to help search for the missing creatures. After recapturing two out of three missing creatures, they reenter the suitcase, which Tina captures and returns to MACUSA. Officials arrest them, believing one of Newt's creatures to have killed Senator Henry Shaw Jr. They decide to destroy Newt's suitcase and Obliviate Jacob's memories of magic. Director of Magical Security Percival Graves accuses them of conspiring with Gellert Grindelwald, an infamous dark wizard. Newt and Tina are sentenced to immediate death, but Queenie and Jacob rescue them. Thanks to the help of goblin gangster Gnarlack, the foursome then find and recapture the last of the creatures. Meanwhile, Percival Graves approaches Mary Lou Barebone's adopted son Credence and offers to free him from his abusive mother. In exchange, Graves wants Credence to find an Obscurus, which he believes has been causing the mysterious incidents around the city. Credence finds a wand under his adopted sister Modesty's bed. Mary Lou believes it is Credence's, but Modesty says it is hers. When she is about to be punished, the Obscurus comes, killing Mary Lou and her eldest daughter, Chastity. Graves arrives, and after Credence leads him to Modesty, who he assumes is the Obscurus's host, dismisses Credence as being a Squib and refuses to teach him magic. Credence then reveals he is the Obscurus's host, having lived longer than any other one due to the intensity of his magic. In a fit of rage, Credence transforms into an Obscurus and attacks the city. Newt finds Credence hiding in a subway tunnel, but Graves attacks him. As Credence begins to settle into human form, Aurors arrive. They apparently disintegrate him to protect the magical society, but one tiny fragment of the Obscurus remains. Graves admits having released the Obscurus to reveal the wizarding world to the No-Majs, and he angrily claims MACUSA does more to protect them then to protect wizards. After being subdued by one of Newt's beasts, he is revealed to be Gellert Grindelwald in disguise and captured. MACUSA fears the magical world has been exposed, but Newt takes his Thunderbird to disperse a poultice as rainfall over the city as MACUSA wizards repair the damage. Queenie kisses Jacob goodbye as the rain erases his memories. Newt departs for Europe, but promises to visit Tina when his book is finished; he also anonymously leaves Jacob a case of silver Occamy eggshells to fund his bakery. His breads and pastries are unconsciously inspired by Newt's creatures and Queenie visits him in his shop. Reception Fantastic Beasts received generally positive reception. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 74% positive rating, with an average of 6.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ''draws on ''Harry Potter's rich mythology to deliver a spinoff that dazzles with franchise-building magic on its own." On Metacritic, it has 66 out of 100, indicating favorable reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave it an A, indicating positive reception. On IMDb, it received three and a half out of five stars, with an average rating of 7.4. Category:Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Category:J.K Rowling's Wizarding World Category:Films